Employment and unemployment as measured by the LFS - 2. quarter of 2018

Number of Persons Aged 65+ Years Working Part-Time Grows Fast

Total employment in Q2 2018 increased by 91.8 thousand persons, year-on-year (y-o-y) and reached 5 289.1 thousand persons. On the contrary, the number of the unemployed, according to the ILO methodology, dropped by 40.5 thousand persons, y-o-y. The general unemployment rate of the aged 15–64 years declined by 0.8 percentage point (p.p.), y-o-y, and was 2.2%.
 

Employment

In Q2 2018 the seasonally adjusted average number of employed persons increased by 10.2 thousand persons, compared to Q1 2018.

The number of persons in the main job increased by 91.8 thousand persons (by 1.8%), y-o-y, to reach 5 289.1 thousand persons. Both the number of employed males and the number of employed females grew by 38.9 thousand and 52.9 thousand, respectively. While the number of working persons aged up to 40 years declined by 32.4 thousand persons, the number of working persons aged 40–54 years increased by 67.5 thousand persons. The number of working persons aged 60+ years also increased markedly by 41.4 thousand persons.

A vast majority of persons work full time in their main job. Their number increased by 71.5 thousand persons compared to Q2 2017. At the same time, the number of persons working part-time was growing markedly by 20.3 thousand persons. Due to this development the percentage of part-time jobs in the main job increased by 0.3 p.p. to reach 7.6% of all working persons. The highest increase in the number of part-time working persons was in the groups of persons aged 65+years and aged 25–29 years. The increases in these two age groups were virtually identical with the total increase in the number of persons working part-time.

Although there is a rapid increase in the number of part-time jobs in the recent two yeas shorter work hours in the main job are in the Czech Republic used substantially less compared to other Member States of the European Union. According to data for 2017 the percentage of part-time jobs was 20.3% in total employment in the whole the European Union while in the Czech Republic it was mere 7.3%. It was the sixth lowest percentage in the EU28. Noticeable differences in the use of shorter work hours can be demonstrated when comparing them in the Czech Republic neighbour countries. In Slovakia it was sole 6.2% and in Poland it was practically at the same level as in the Czech Republic. Conversely, Germany and Austria belong to countries, in which shorter work hours, or part-time jobs in the main job are used more frequently. The percentages of their use in Austria and Germany were 28.7% and 28.2%, respectively. Just to have the picture complete, part-time jobs in the main job are most frequent in the Netherlands where over a half of all working persons (50.7%) work some part-time job.

The overall increase in the number of the employed was caused, first of all, by a growth in the number of persons with employment status of employees. Their number increased by 90.6 thousand persons to reach 4 389.1 thousand persons, year-on-year. The numbers of working persons in groups of other employment status remained virtually the same y-o-y. Solely the number of the self-employed without employees saw a slight increase by 1.3 thousand persons.

As in the past quarters, the continuing growth in employment was significant namely in the tertiary sector of services, this time by an increase by 84.2 thousand persons. The number of working persons in the primary sector section of agriculture and forestry grew by 2.4 thousand persons. Employment in the secondary sector of industry and construction increased by mere 5.8 thousand persons as a result of troubles in new workers hiring.

The number of working persons with tertiary educational attainment increased by 53.9 thousand persons, which was the highest growth. This reflects essential changes to the structure of formal education attainment of the population. The number of working persons with secondary education with A-level examination increased substantially less, by mere 29.4 thousand persons, and the number of working persons with vocational training certificates secondary education without A-level examination even declined by 2.6 thousand persons.

The employment rate (percentage of working persons in the age group 15–64 years) reached 74.7% and grew by 1.4 p.p. compared to Q2 2017. The male employment rate increased by 1.1 p.p. and the female employment rate increased by 1.7 p.p.
 

Unemployment

The seasonally adjusted average number of unemployed persons according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) methodology¹⁾ decreased by 3.3 thousand persons in Q2 2018 compared to that in Q1 2018.

The total number of the unemployed declined by 40.5 thousand persons, y-o-y, and reached 118.2 thousand persons. Both the number of the unemployed females dropped by 22.3 thousand persons to reach 65.8 thousand persons and the number of the unemployed males fell by 18.2 thousand persons to reach 52.4 thousand persons. The positive development is a result of a great decline in the number of persons unemployed for one year and longer by 23.4 thousand, y-o-y, and so the total number of them reached 35.7 thousand persons.

The general unemployment rate according to the ILO definition in the age group 15–64 years (the share of the unemployed in the labour force, i.e. the sum of the employed and the unemployed) decreased by 0.8 p.p., compared to Q2 2017, and dropped to 2.2% in Q2 2018.

Viewed by region, the unemployment rate, compared year-on-year, decreased virtually in all regions. The only region with stagnating unemployment rate was the Královéhradecký Region. The Zlínský Region saw the deepest decline in the unemployment rate by 1.7 p.p, followed by Vysočina Region (by 1,7 p.p.) and the Liberecký Region (by 1,6 p.p.). The highest unemployment rate still pertains in the Moravskoslezský Region (3.7%), followed by the Ústí nad Labem Region (3.6%), and the Karlovarský Region (3.3%). The Capital City of Prague and the Jihočeský Region have featured the lowest unemployment rates in the Czech Republic of 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively.
 

Inactivity

In the sample survey, data are collected also on persons, who do not work and do not seek a job in an active manner, and thus do not comply with the ILO conditions for the unemployed, yet they state they would like to be working. In Q2 2018 the number of such persons was 108.4 thousand persons, i.e. by 11.7 thousand less than in the same period of 2017. Majority of persons willing to work, however, is not able to start in a potential job immediately. Actually, there are mere 32.8 thousand persons able to start in a job within a fortnight, at the latest.

 

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¹⁾ The ILO methodology defines the unemployed as all persons above a specified age who during the reference period were without a job, did not work an hour for pay, and were in an active manner seeking job they would be able to join within two weeks at the latest. This methodology is uniform for all EU Member States and produces internationally comparable data. It should be noted that the definition of “the unemployed” by the ILO differs from the definition of “job applicants kept in the register of the labour offices” of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Notes:
Responsible head at the CZSO: Dalibor Holý, Head of the Labour Market and Equal Opportunities Statistics Department, phone: +420 274052694, e-mail: dalibor.holy@czso.cz
Contact person: Marta Petráňová, Unit for Labour Forces, Migration and Equal Opportunities, phone: +420 274054357, e-mail: marta.petranova@czso.cz
Data source: CZSO, Labour Force Sample Survey (LFSS) conducted in selected dwelling households; collective accommodation establishments are not included in the survey. The LFSS results have been grossed up to the total population of the Czech Republic using data of the population statistics as at 1 January 2018 and the prediction of the population development in Q2 2018.
End of data collection / End of preliminary data processing: 23 July 2018 / 26 July 2018
Related Internet-published document: 250128-18 - “Employment and Unemployment in the Czech Republic as Measured by the Labour Force Sample Survey – Quarterly Data” with the finalised survey results will be available on the CZSO website by the end of Q3 2018. (Home - We publish - Catalogue of Products - Employment and Unemployment)
Next News Release shall be published on: 5 November 2018

Published: 03.08.2018
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.